02-031-915 Me. Code R. § 4

Current through 2024-46, November 13, 2024
Section 031-915-4 - Definitions

For the purposes of this rule:

A. "Buyers guide" means, as appropriate for the annuity being offered for sale, either the "Buyer's Guide for Deferred Annuities - Variable," "Buyer's Guide for Deferred Annuities - Fixed," or the "Buyer's Guide for Deferred Annuities" approved by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; use of the "Buyer's Guide for Deferred Annuities" is considered appropriate in all sales.
B. "Contract owner" means the owner named in the annuity contract or certificate holder in the case of a group annuity contract.
C. "Determinable elements" means elements that are derived from processes or methods that are guaranteed at issue and not subject to company discretion, but where the values or amounts cannot be determined until some point after issue. These elements include the premiums, credited interest rates (including any bonus), benefits, values, non-interest based credits, charges or elements of formulas used to determine any of these. These elements may be described as guaranteed but not determined at issue. An element is considered determinable if it was calculated from underlying determinable elements only, or from both determinable and guaranteed elements.
D. "Funding agreement" means an agreement for an insurer to accept and accumulate funds and to make one or more payments at future dates in amounts that are not based on mortality or morbidity contingencies.
E. "Generic name" means a short title descriptive of the annuity contract being applied for or illustrated such as "single premium deferred annuity."
F. "Guaranteed elements" means the premiums, credited interest rates (including any bonus), benefits, values, non-interest based credits, charges or elements of formulas used to determine any of these, that are guaranteed or have determinable elements at issue. An element is considered guaranteed if all of the underlying elements that go into its calculation are guaranteed.
G. "Illustration" means a personalized presentation or depiction prepared for and provided to an individual consumer that includes non-guaranteed elements of an annuity contract over a period of years.
H. "Market Value Adjustment" or "MVA" feature is a positive or negative adjustment that may be applied to the account value and/or cash value of the annuity upon withdrawal, surrender, contract annuitization or death benefit payment based on either the movement of an external index or on the company's current guaranteed interest rate being offered on new premiums or new rates for renewal periods, if that withdrawal, surrender, contract annuitization or death benefit payment occurs at a time other than on a specified guaranteed benefit date.
I. "Non-guaranteed elements" means the premiums, credited interest rates (including any bonus), benefits, values, dividends, non-interest based credits, charges or elements of formulas used to determine any of these, that are subject to company discretion and are not guaranteed at issue. An element is considered non-guaranteed if any of the underlying non-guaranteed elements are used in its calculation.
J. "Structured settlement annuity" means a "qualified funding asset" as defined in Section 130(d) of the Internal Revenue Code or an annuity that would be a qualified funding asset under Section 130(d) but for the fact that it is not owned by an assignee under a qualified assignment.

02-031 C.M.R. ch. 915, § 4